Jn 5: 1-16

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”

Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.

Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Wading in the Water

There is a certain richness to our Christian faith because of the symbolism that abounds within it. We find extraordinary meaning in ordinary things because they point to something deeper than what’s on the surface. For example, in both of our readings today, we see the symbol of water. Right away, we should be reminded of the waters of baptism. These waters symbolize many things, among which are death, life, and the washing away of impurities.

We often celebrate important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. But have we ever celebrated our baptism day? After all, it’s the most important day of our Christian lives. Today, let’s use this opportunity to pray with our own baptism. Re-imagine it. Wade in the water. And then ask the Lord to give the water of life once again to quench our arid souls.

Prayer

Wade in the waterWade in the water, children,Wade in the waterGod’s a-going to trouble the water

See that host all dressed in whiteGod’s a-going to trouble the waterThe leader looks like the IsraeliteGod’s a-going to trouble the waterSee that band all dressed in redGod’s a-going to trouble the waterLooks like the band that Moses ledGod’s a-going to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see?God’s a-going to trouble the waterThe Holy Ghost a-coming on meGod’s a-going to trouble the water

—traditional African-American spiritual

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St. Ignatius’s First Principle and Foundation says “The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.” One of the ways in which we respond to the love God has given us is through prayer, not only personal prayer but community prayer as well.
The Pastoral Ministry Center invites members of our Strake Jesuit Community to share their prayers with us: their concerns, joys, thanksgivings, so that we may walk with them in all these times of their lives.

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Jn 5: 1-16

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”

Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.

Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Wading in the Water

There is a certain richness to our Christian faith because of the symbolism that abounds within it. We find extraordinary meaning in ordinary things because they point to something deeper than what’s on the surface. For example, in both of our readings today, we see the symbol of water. Right away, we should be reminded of the waters of baptism. These waters symbolize many things, among which are death, life, and the washing away of impurities.

We often celebrate important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. But have we ever celebrated our baptism day? After all, it’s the most important day of our Christian lives. Today, let’s use this opportunity to pray with our own baptism. Re-imagine it. Wade in the water. And then ask the Lord to give the water of life once again to quench our arid souls.

Prayer

Wade in the waterWade in the water, children,Wade in the waterGod’s a-going to trouble the water

See that host all dressed in whiteGod’s a-going to trouble the waterThe leader looks like the IsraeliteGod’s a-going to trouble the waterSee that band all dressed in redGod’s a-going to trouble the waterLooks like the band that Moses ledGod’s a-going to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see?God’s a-going to trouble the waterThe Holy Ghost a-coming on meGod’s a-going to trouble the water